Two Onondaga County house fires reported in mid-afternoon

Fires were reported minutes apart in two homes during thunderstorms that rolled through Onondaga County this afternoon.

The first was reported at 3:08 p.m. at 104 Evans Drive, Van Buren, the Onondaga County 911 Center reported. The home was extensively damaged by fire. Lakeside Fire Department put out that blaze.

Homeowners Roger and Carol Vance were away at the time, but their three dogs were inside the home, Carol Vance said. One dog died and firefighters revived a second, Vance said. The couple buried the dog, Precious, behind their house Saturday afternoon.

Three-year-old Precious was the offspring of the other two dogs and was the smallest of the litter of 10, she said.

"She only had one eye and a crooked tail," Vance said. "She was the best pet I ever had. I would hold her in my arms and sing to her like a baby."

Vance said firefighters told her a lightning strike caused the fire. The Red Cross made arrangements to house the couple.

The second fire was reported at 3:12 p.m. at 25 Mallard Path, Clay, said Battalion Chief Steve Dembowski, of the Moyers Corners Fire Department. No one was at home at the time of the fire, he said.

The fire, which was reported by a neighbor, did substantial damage to the home's attic, Dembowski said. His fire department was aided by North Syracuse and Liverpool fire departments.